1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to food freshness monitoring systems, and more specifically to a system for keeping track of the date food was placed in a refrigerator so as to prevent the spoilage thereof prior to consumption.
2. Description of the Related Art
While grocery shopping, one must be constantly aware of product dating codes in order to ensure that safe and fresh food products are purchased. This practice, however, does not end at the grocery store. Rather, it is equally important to monitor the expiration date on products in the home to make sure that only the freshest non-outdated food is consumed. This is especially the case where prepared food or leftovers are placed in the refrigerator for future use. These foods are especially susceptible to deterioration and contamination over time due to the fact that, many times, they have set out at room temperature for some period prior to storage. Obviously, the containers used to store leftovers and the like do not carry any dating information and, as a result, are even more difficult to keep track of. As a result, there is a need for a means by which consumers can keep track and maintain a record of what foods in their refrigerators are the freshest, alerting them of potential problems associated with food aging in a manner that is easy to use and requires little effort on the part of the consumer. The development of the present invention provides this solution by the utilization of color coded indicia that correlate food containers with the date upon which they were placed in a refrigerator or the like.
A search of the prior art did not disclose any patents that read directly on the claims of the instant invention. However, several references to food age recording devices and systems were discovered. However, these devices neither anticipate nor disclose any embodiment that would preclude its novelty and the utilitarian functionality of the features of the present invention.
Several patents describe methods of tracking and dating food storage through the use of data recorded on preprinted magnetic labels in conjunction with an electronic data storage and time recording means:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,711,160, issued in the name of Namisniak et al.;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,487,276, issued in the name of Namisniak et al.; and
U.S. Pat. No. 5,335,509, issued in the name of Namisniak et al.
In these disclosures, the user enters the food type and date into the electronic recorder and prepares a corresponding label for the food container. When the food reaches an age where it is unfit to consume, a warning is displayed. Color coding between the recorder and the container labels is anticipated. All of these systems are unnecessarily complicated and, as a result, would be excessively expensive. The use of sticker labels on the food storage containers could pose a problem in that they can be difficult to remove after use.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,619,221, issued in the name of Linstromberg, discloses an inventory indicating device with a combination slidable food-type and date indicator that attaches to the storage bins in a refrigerator for recording the date of origin of the contents thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,755,337, issued in the name of Linn discloses a method of tracking and dating food stored with color-coded flags wherein the date and contents of a food storage container are written down on a refrigerator door mounted note pad. Each entry on the note pad is associated with a distinct color. An adhesive label of a color that corresponds to the note pad entry is affixed to the container. Thus, the user can determine the contents and date of the contents of a food storage container based upon the color of the label thereon.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,818,858, issued in the name of Kramer et al., discloses a food storage container that incorporates a dating device for indicating the date upon which food was placed therein. However, there are no means for indicating the contents of the container.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,691,684, issued in the name of Murrah describes a food storage inventory bar coding system.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,292,916, issued in the name of Bradley et al. describes a chemical indicator for determining freshness of foodstuffs.
While several features exhibited within these references may be incorporated into this invention, alone and in combination with other elements, none address the specific problems addressed by the present invention, namely the disadvantages of using an adhesive labeling means, complicated electronic and manual data recording procedures/devices and excessive costs. As such, the present invention is sufficiently novel and different so as to make it distinguishable over the prior art.
The present invention is a food age organization system that provides the user with a convenient means by which to label the leftover food containers in their refrigerators, indicating the date upon which it was placed therein. Simple in design, the system consists of circular magnets that are attached to the storage containers. When food is placed inside the container, a colored indicator is secured to the container via the magnet. The colored indicator corresponds to the day of the week that the food was stored and is indicated by a colored, magnetic indicator that is attached to a calendar hanging on the refrigerator door. By matching the color of the indicator on the container with the color on the calendar, one can use the system to determine the exact day upon which the food was first placed in the refrigerator. Additionally, the container indicators come in a variety of shapes that indicate the type of food in the containers. As a result, use of the food age organization system provides the user with a means by which to avoid the waste associated with food spoilage.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a food age organization system that will allow the user to accurately keep track of the age of foods stored in a refrigerator or the like.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a food age organization system that does not require the use of stickers or adhesive labels that are difficult to remove after use.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a food age organization system that is simple to use and inexpensive to produce, as an alternative to existing electronic food age recording devices and systems.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a food age organization system that utilizes color coded and/or textured age indication indicia that correspond to a calendar date, indicating the date upon which a food storage container was placed in a refrigerator.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a food age organization system that incorporates the use of a ferromagnetic securing device to secure age indication indicia to food storage containers.
Finally, it is an object of the present invention to provide a food age organization system wherein the age indication indicia are formed to a shape indicating the type of food stored in the food storage container.